Eternity
by TrueLoveIs4ever
Summary: The third in a trilogy also consisting of Be Here Now and For Love! James Potter died to protect his wife and son, and Lily Potter sacrificed herself for her son. Now they arrive in the Otherworld, and reunite with some familiar faces... T just to be safe!
1. The Otherworld

Eternity

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: So! Yes, this is going to be the final chapter of the **_**Be Here Now**_** trilogy! And yes, I have decided to actually write this one. After finishing **_**For Love**_**, I doubted whether or not I wanted to actually write this. From the beginning, I expected to write this, but when I finished **_**For Love**_**, I wondered if you all would want to think of the endings of all the characters yourselves or if I should write this one. So my decision is this: I will write this, and complete the trilogy, but what I write does not have to be what you believe. Don't think that this is actually what it should be. Remember what Edmund Wilson said: "No two persons ever read the same book." If you can call this a book.**

**So, please, enjoy! And don't expect it to be much. I only plan for it to be about ten chapters, fifteen max. Again, enjoy!**

x.o.x.o.x.

The last thing Lily Potter remembered was giving her life for her son's, which she did not regret one bit. Then she sat up. Her emerald green eyes widened in disbelief. If she had died for her son, it would have guaranteed Harry's survival and Voldemort's demise. But if she was thinking, and she could sit up of her own accord, it must not have worked! Frantic, the redhead scrambled to her feet, gazing at her surroundings with mounting panic. There was nothing as far as the human eye could see except for a blank landscape of white, white, and more white. Her heart climbing up her throat, Lily's brilliant mind began working for an explanation.

However, only moments after her panic began to rise to uncontrollable heights, the whiteness around her began to take shape into familiar pieces. Homes sprang from the white expanse, complete with lawns and fences. Lily did not fail to notice a nameplate on each door. The houses were evenly spread out, and each had exactly the same amount of property. It seemed familiar to Lily's heart, though she knew with certainty that she had never come upon the likes of this in her lifetime.

If she strained her emerald green eyes, she could almost see the outline of a spectacular castle on the horizon, but she felt that her mind was playing tricks on her. Finally, Lily began racing from door to door, reading the nameplates, hoping to find a familiar name. She stopped dead at one, nearly fainting as the two names, conjoined by an elegant _&_, conjured up the faces that matched them, faces that she hadn't seen in the flesh for years. _Charles Potter & Natalia Potter._

One of the faces, the female, appeared in the white-curtained window, pushing the innocent-looking curtains aside. The hazel eyes widened in surprise as the woman wasted no time in flinging open the door and enveloping Lily in a tight hug.

"Oh Merlin, Lily! How can you be here? You're supposed to stay alive and live a long life, and take care of my grandchildren, your grandchildren. It was bad enough that James appeared minutes ago. What will my dear grandson do now? The poor child! I just hope Dumbledore gives him to a nice Wizarding family that will love him like he should be loved." Natalia Potter, mother of three and now grandmother of one, held Lily at an arm's length. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"Confused," Lily responded truthfully, drawing the older woman back in for a briefer hug. "What's going on, Natalia? Aren't you supposed to be dead? Aren't _I_ supposed to be dead? And what did you say about James? He's here?" Lily remembered the tearing feeling of losing the love of her life all too well, and to think that the pain had been for nothing was absurd.

Natalia pointed to the house next door. "I think you should go in there, Lily. There will be a letter explaining it all to you, and I think someone special is waiting to see you. But when you're finished reuniting, I think you should go there." She pointed at the house on the other side of her. "There are two people in there that I think you love more than you know."

Puzzled, Lily nodded, giving the Potter matriarch one more lingering hug. "Thank you, Natalia. Tell Charles I said hello, and that his letters were very, _very_ touching." She smiled sadly before climbing down the front steps, headed for the first house her mother-in-law had pointed out.

Once she reached the stoop and read the nameplate, her stomach dropped. _James Potter & Lily Potter._ She ran her hands over the inscribed names, feeling their protuberance from the elegant plate. With a last deep breath, she twisted the knob, and it seemed to respond to her touch, swinging inward to admit her.

"Oh Merlin. Lily."

The voice was music to Lily's ears, a voice that she had been positive she'd never hear again. With hardly a thought, she fell into the welcoming arms, the arms that had helped her through many things, including the hours of labor to deliver their son. "James," she whispered.

After many minutes of whispered reassurances and reuniting, the couple pulled back. James's black hair was as tousled as ever, but his hazel eyes held a deeper sadness now than before, something that both had thought impossible. But they had, in a way, lost a child, just as much as their child had lost a set of very loving parents.

"What you did was so brave, Lily. I love you so much. And I love Harry so much." James drew her into a tight embrace once more, showing that a verbal response was not needed.

"I love you too," murmured Lily, burying her face in James's chest. Once they released each other, she asked, "So we're dead? Where are we, then?"

James smiled wryly. "You're the same old Lily as ever." He pointed to the front table, where an envelope addressed simply to _Lily Potter_ lay waiting.

To Lily's surprise, that front table was the only thing in the entire house. The walls were painted a dull white, and the floors were plaster. She raised her eyebrows at James.

"It's explained in the letter too," James responded, "but knowing Mum, she probably wanted you to go over to the other house before reading it. Better yet, bring it with you to read over there."

"Come with me?" Lily asked, smiling at him, knowing that he couldn't resist.

"I was going to anyway," James replied cheekily, grabbing her hand and walking to the front door side-by-side with her.

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily paused on the stoop, reading the nameplate with barely any interest. But when the words sunk in, she gasped and knocked wildly. James laughed, watching her. The door swung open in record time, and a black-haired, hazel-eyed young woman appeared. The two young women rushed at each other, embracing tightly as tears began to stream down their faces.

"Lily. My Merlin, I cannot believe you're here." Hilary Potter stared at her in amazement. "But poor Harry!" Sincere sadness and pity seeped through her voice. "My nephew. I dearly hope that he'll grow up loved."

"So do I," whispered Lily, a torrent of tears threatening again. Hoping to at least delay them, Lily pointed at the nameplate, since they were still outdoors. "Hilary Potter and Estelle Potter? She's here? My niece is here?"

A beaming smile spread across Hilary's face. "It's explained in your letter." She pointed at the envelope in Lily's left hand. "But yes, my daughter is here. She's only a year old, but she's already walking! Mum and Dad help out a lot. Come on inside. You can sit on the couch with James to read your letter."

Hilary ushered them in, and Lily was startled to find that her home was fully furnished. No explanation was needed, however, because she expected that the answer would lie in her letter. The house was silent, and Lily inferred that her niece was sound asleep. Hilary sat down across from her brother and sister-in-law with a well-worn copy of some Wizarding book. James was flipping through a Quidditch magazine, and Lily tore into her letter.

_Dear __Mrs. Liliana Marie Evans Potter__,_

_Welcome to the Otherworld! It's sure that you're worried, confused, and hopeful that you aren't actually dead. But you are, unfortunately. It's also certain that you have some close, loved one that has crossed to the Otherworld before your time, and they will be glad to help you._

_Let's begin with what the Otherworld _is_, exactly, shall we? It is a parallel universe to that that you have just left. Perhaps not exactly _parallel_, but quite close. It is, unlike Earth, endless. With each new 'family' that dies, a new home is added. As you may have noticed, each house is evenly separated. Every citizen of the Otherworld receives the exact same amount of property. However, though this may belong more in the decorating section, each room _inside_ the house may be adjusted to your preferred size. This does not change the outward appearance of the home._

_When you arrive in the Otherworld, any illness you may have had in life is wiped clean. You are healthy, but that does not matter. It is slightly complicated, but here in the Otherworld, you are not human. You are a wisp, let's call it an illusion, to be simple. You exist, alive, that is, only in the minds of your fellow Otherworlders. In addition, if you were over the age of or were fourteen at the time of your death, your age will be your age forever. If a child dies before turning fourteen, he or she will continue to age at a normal human pace until he or she becomes fourteen years old._

_Miscarriages, stillbirths, or unborn children will arrive in the Otherworld as newborns. If a parent is also part of the Otherworld, the child will be given to that parent. If a parent is _not_ part of the Otherworld, the child will be placed in the limitless orphanage, where they will be cared for just the same as the children with parents until a parent comes into the Otherworld. If it is a child below the age of seventeen and dies without having a parent already in the Otherworld, he or she will be placed in the House of the Parentless Children. Infants and toddlers from the orphanage will be graduated from the orphanage to the House of the Parentless Children at age five._

_Each home, when brand-new, is empty except for the hall table you found this letter on. The walls are blandly white, and the floors plaster. Even that table is not required to stay. You are given free rein to decorate the home in any way you and your family decides to. Simply flip through the catalogue, also on that hall table, and tap any items you want three times with your ring finger, say the room you wish for it to be in, and it will stay lightweight enough for your moving it until you say 'finished'. The same goes for wall paint and floors._

_Any cupboards or pantries you decide to put in stock themselves whenever needed with your preferred foods. It is not necessary that you eat, but nothing bad will happen if you do. Your bodies will stay like this for eternity._

_Your close relatives are bound to be close to your own home, but friends and classmates and coworkers may be anywhere in the Otherworld. Similar to the magical beings' ways of fireplace travel, you step on your stoop and whisper clearly the name of the person you wish to call on._

_The only required item in your household is a specially made television set or mirror. It can be either. On these, you will be allowed to view the goings-on of loved ones in the living world. However, if you become too attached, it will be necessary that limits are placed on your viewings. If you view wisely, there is no limit. However, depending on the severity of your attachment, limits may be placed to the amount of times you can view per month, or even per year, if you show a strong, irresistible, insane desire to rejoin the world of the living. _

_When someone stops by your grave to speak to you, a phone, if you choose to own one, will blink red. An incoming call from another place in the Otherworld will blink yellow. If you do not choose to own a telephone, your cellular phone, which will become much more popular in the land of the living in decades to come, will blink red. It will blink yellow for an Otherworld incoming call._

_Within every fifteen-mile radius is a 'downtown' of sorts. It will have restaurants, diners, coffeehouses, shops of all kinds, and even a library. Yes, your clothes can be changed if you want them to. Any citizen of the Otherworld is welcome to meet up at any downtown. To maintain spaciousness and to avoid cramming, once the downtown is filled to capacity, any other citizen desiring to enter will be physically unable to. While everything is free, each citizen of the Otherworld has exactly two hundred points to spend in a month's time. Food at home should not be a worry, remember. Your cellular phones will also have the amount of points you have remaining that month. Points do not carry over, and it cannot be cheated by even the best hacker to grant you with more points._

_Also in the downtown are therapists. These therapists were also therapists in life, though since arriving in the Otherworld, they have been trained precisely in the art of death therapy. If you ever feel any sort of inappropriate desires come on, report to a therapist immediately._

_No matter what your mother tongue was, in the Otherworld, every language can be understood by any person. This eases communication._

_Any questions you may have will be answered by popup on your cellular phone should you ask._

_Once again, welcome to the Otherworld, and it is hopeful that you will enjoy your stay. After all, it is for eternity._

Lily put the letter down on her lap. Her green eyes were alive with wonder as her mind began to process the information that she had just read. "It's like a utopia," she marveled as she folded the letter carefully and placed it back in the envelope.

"Utopia?" questioned Hilary as she put a mug of steaming green tea in front of her friend and a bottle of butterbeer in front of her twin. She herself settled back in her chair with a glass of orange juice.

"The definition is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect," Lily explained, sipping her tea with a smile of thanks. "So, in this case, a perfect society. What happens to crooks and criminals?"

Hilary pointed to Lily's pocket, which had a dim light radiating from it. Lily felt a rectangular object pressing against her thigh where the light was. Curious, she pulled out the device and gasped. It was slim and white, with a fairly large, black screen. At the bottom, centered, was a circular button with a round-sided square in the middle.

James reached over and pressed a rectangular button on the right of the top side. The screen came to life, and Lily looked on in awe. Words scrawled themselves across the screen in bold, black letters.

_There are no crooks and criminals in the Otherworld. There is nothing to steal, nothing to be bad about._

Lily raised her eyebrows, clicking the device off. "It seems more and more like a utopia." She looked worried, though. "However, there's no such thing as perfect. I wonder what this society's downfalls are."

No one answered, but Lily caught Hilary's mirthful hazel eyes.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just so brilliant to be back with you, even under these circumstances. I've missed your know-it-all tirades a lot." Hilary hugged her again, before drinking some of her juice.

Her red-haired friend smiled, needing no words to convey that she felt the same. Around the rim of her mug of tea, she asked, "What exactly are these devices, then?"

"They're called iPhones, fifth edition, if you're wondering. There's also a 4S edition, but no one carries those anymore. These automatically upgrade when the next one is released. This type of technology won't be in existence on Earth until the year 2012," Hilary explained.

Her brother and sister-in-law exchanged a look filled with such sadness that it would have broken a heart. "Harry will be thirty-two years old by that time," James explained to his twin sister, looking forlorn. "And we can't be there in person to journey to that age with him. We'll only be over fifty by that time. He'll marry, have children, and maybe even grandchildren…" He trailed off, looking away with oddly bright eyes.

Lily rubbed his arm soothingly, but even as she comforted him, she needed some comfort for herself. "If he survives the fate that we left him burdened with, that is."

"He will," Hilary promised her, plopping down between the married couple and throwing an arm around each shoulder. "I've been watching you, all of you, periodically since I died, and I know about the prophecy made about Harry. With both of your courage combined, there's more of a chance of his living than his dying. He'll grow up to be just as good a student, dueler, wizard, friend, son, father, and person as his parents were."

Both of the others smiled, at Hilary and at each other over the top of her dark head. "He will," murmured Lily.

James smiled suddenly, hoping to break the tension. "After all, he _is_ his father's son."

"Poor him," quipped Lily, and the sad moment dissipated for the time being as laughter filled the cozy room.

x.o.x.o.x.

After some more catching up, Lily jumped off the couch, her hair flying. "Mum and Dad! Oh, how could I have overlooked that! It said in the letter that close family members would be put near us! And I haven't seen Mum _or_ Dad for about seven years! You two catch up some more." She hugged Hilary tightly and kissed James quickly on the lips. "I've got to go visit them!"

"Go to your stoop and say their names!" Hilary called after her, before turning back to her brother. "I'd bring you up to Elle's room, but she's asleep, and while you may be her uncle, her aunts are better suited to sleeping infants. Am I right or am I wrong?"

Chuckling, James drew his sister in for another hug. "Don't be silly, Hils. You're always the right one, I'm always the wrong one, remember?"

"True!"

Lily dashed across the healthy green lawn that separated her home and Charles and Natalia's home. She jumped onto the stoop and called out her parents' names. It was a sensation similar to Flooing that brought her to another stoop, identical to her own, but distinguished by the nameplate on the door, depicting her beloved parents' names, followed by her maiden name, _Evans_. With her heart in her throat, she knocked frantically on the door.

A familiar voice followed the footsteps to the door. As the middle-aged brunette opened the door, she had her head turned the other way, calling back to a person in the kitchen. Finally, after what seemed like eons to Lily, she turned back. "Sorry about-" A gasp cut off her sentence. "Lily?" Awe and sadness seemed to balance each other out to form love in the woman's voice.

"Mum!" Lily cried, and launched herself into her mother's arms like a child, feeling any worries or stresses lifting themselves off of her, leaving her weightless, innocent, and truly, deliriously _happy_ for the first time in many years.

x.o.x.o.x.

**A/N: So there you are! Chapter one of the final 'book' in the **_**Be Here Now**_** trilogy! Remember that this doesn't have to be how you expected the characters in the past two to turn out, okay? **

**If YOU have any questions about the Otherworld, leave them in your reviews, and I'll do my best to slip them into a chapter to get them answered! If I can't find an opening, I'll write it in an author's note.**

**And finally, I'd like to have a name for this trilogy. I was thinking **_**Jily**_**, but that's unoriginal and… yeah. So if you have any suggestions, please leave them in a review!**

**Love you guys!**


	2. Harry's First Year

Eternity

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: Here we go! Chapter two! Like I said, there's probably only going to be about ten to fifteen chapters, nothing long like the other two. Oh, and I forgot what I had Lily's parents' names be, so I have just put them here as Rose and Andrew. I'll go back and check sometime, and change anything as needed! And now, without further ado, chapter two of Eternity!**

x.o.x.o.x.

After lunch one sunny Saturday afternoon in the Otherworld, Lily asked James, "Shouldn't we _really_ start to decorate, Jamie? I mean, we've been up here for, what, two weeks? And all we have is a bed and that table."

James spooned up some soup as he answered, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. And anyway, I'd like to check up on Harry." Sadness crept into his tone as he brought up his son. "I think we should choose a felevision or mirror first."

Lily laughed, placing her plate in the sink and pouring out a plastic cup of white mocha on ice, her one exception to no caffeine. As she stuck a straw in, she corrected her husband, "_Television_, James, not felevision. Didn't you take Muggle studies at school?"

"Just to impress you," James reminded her as if it should be obvious. "And you can't truly expect me to remember that stuff, right?"

"Whatever you say, Jamie," Lily responded, clearly not buying it. She headed for the hall table, where she picked up the thick catalogue and popped back into the kitchen, sitting down across from James as she flipped open the large volume to the table of contents. "Hmm," she murmured, running her fingers down the column of sections until it landed on _Televisions and Mirrors – Required_. She ran her finger across to find the page number, and turned the pages in chunks until she reached it.

James looked up from his soup, glancing at the options. "Are we going for simple or extravagant?" he asked his wife, eyeing the large flat-screen TVs that would surely almost span a whole wall dubiously.

"Neither?" Lily suggested, also catching sight of that. "I think we'll need wall space for more than just a telly, don't you agree? But too small, like that one, might not give us the quality we want, or that you're used to," she teased gently. She turned the page and smiled. "These are perfect."

On the page were rows of medium-sized televisions, both flat-screen and bulky. The messy-haired young man pointed to one near the middle of the page. "Why don't we use that one? It's slim but not too large, and will leave plenty of wall space for future use."

In response, Lily tapped the picture three times, and said clearly, "Living room." A faint pop was heard from the direction of the living room, and the couple walked into the room, with James abandoning his unfinished lunch. They found the telly of their choice hovering in midair.

The couple exchanged a glance, and James walked forward to place the telly on the wall, centered almost perfectly. Lily gave him the thumbs-up, and they began to decorate the rest of their new home, expanding some rooms, and shrinking others.

x.o.x.o.x.

By suppertime, Lily and James's house was fully furnished, painted, and the floors had been put in. There were two full bathrooms (both upstairs, one connected to the master bedroom) and one half (downstairs), a large kitchen (complete with an island and a state-of-the-art stove, which had yet to be invented on Earth), a fairly large living area, a cozy dining room, and four bedrooms.

The couple ate their supper at a rapid pace in their newly furnished dining room. The food was eaten off of pristine white plates, bowls, and cups, and eaten using brand-new, shiny silverware on an oak table on matching oak chairs. The meal was fast-paced because they had agreed to check up on Harry right after supper. They had invited Hilary, Natalia, Charles, and, of course, little Estelle to come over and join them in seeing their son for the first time since their untimely deaths.

A knocking came on the door just as the plates were clearing themselves, courtesy of Lily's wand, into the sink. James glanced at his wife, whose eyes had glazed over, almost as if she was already watching her son. He shrugged and went to get the door himself. His twin sister, with her daughter in her arms, stood on the stoop.

"Hi, Jamsie," Hilary greeted him, stepping into the house. Her eyebrows went up at the tasteful but fairly simple décor. "Lily could have been an interior designer."

"She wouldn't have the stomach for it," James joked as he closed the door behind her. He peered at the small bundle in her arms. "Oh, Hils, she's just adorable." His hazel eyes clouded over. "I'll bet she would have led a fantastic life. And she and Harry could have played together. Didn't we always wish for cousins growing up?"

Hilary nodded wordlessly, pulling out her wand and conjuring a small chair for her daughter. She placed the little girl in the chair, and Estelle clapped her chubby hands, giggling happily as her wide hazel eyes took in her new surroundings. Lily rushed in then. She kissed James quickly, hugged Hilary, and kissed the top of Estelle's head, smiling affectionately at the little girl.

The doorbell rang then, and Lily made a beeline for it, throwing it open to find a very familiar couple. She threw her arms around both of them in turn. "Natalia! Charles! Welcome! Come in, come in!"

Natalia just gave the young woman a small smile, a hug of her own, and walked into the living room to greet her children and granddaughter. Lily and Charles stayed in the foyer for a few more moments to reunite, because Lily hadn't had a chance to see her father-in-law again since arriving in the Otherworld.

"Your letters were incredibly written, Charles," Lily complimented him sincerely, her eyes becoming bright at the recollection of them.

"Thank you, dear," the man replied, hugging her once more. "I'm sorry Natalia and I weren't there in the flesh on your wedding day. We watched it from here, though, and it was absolutely beautiful. You looked stunning. James is very lucky. I'm happy that both of you have found a soul mate in each other."

"I'm thrilled as well," Lily assured him, and led him into the living room. "Maybe… we could check up on Isabel and our other friends after we see Harry?" While she loved Isabel like a blood sister, her son was her first priority at the moment.

Natalia looked up from her conversation with her two present children. "Oh, please! I've been careful of my viewings of her, just to be safe, and I guess I went overboard. I'd just like to see if she's coping okay."

"She was fine last we saw her," James assured his mum, though he looked uncertain as to whether or not his death had taken a huge toll on the young girl.

Without further ado, the group turned on the television, and a scene came up on the screen. The speakers were turned on, as well. Lily stared at the screen, panic mixed with fury beginning to etch onto her face.

"Why is no one going to calm my son?" Lily demanded, her voice coldly calm, a harbinger of a potential storm.

Harry's screams continued to penetrate both the living world and the Otherworld. James clenched his hands into fists, and it took all the self control he had built up to not blow up. Hilary gazed at her wailing nephew with mounting anger as well. She sympathized with her brother and her best friend, because if her daughter had been left unattended like that, she would be on the warpath.

Finally, the door opened, shedding some light into the previously dark room. Natalia stared, her heart beginning to beat faster as well, indignation on her grandson's behalf starting to rise rapidly. "Tell me that isn't a cupboard. _Tell_ me that isn't a cupboard!"

Charles eyed the door's shape and gritted his teeth. "It's a cupboard all right, with quite a few spiders in there." He pointed several out, and then he turned his finger upward. "It could very well be under a staircase, as well."

Lily registered all of this with a semi-numb mind, because her energy was focused on the woman who had opened the door. She had a child attached to her hip, and a curled lip, product of strong disgust, attached to her lips. There was no mistaking her figure and her screechy voice.

"Shut up, insolent freak," snapped Petunia Dursley, nee Evans. She shoved a bottle into the wailing child's mouth. "Enjoy that. It might be a while before you get your next one. My Duddykins needs his food to grow up big and strong, isn't that right, baby boy?" She squeezed the fat child closer to her and slammed the door closed, plunging Harry's prison back into blackness.

Lily collapsed into tears, and Hilary silently pressed the off button, letting the screen fade to black. James's hazel eyes were also bright with tears, some already streaming down his face as they embraced each other, hoping to find comfort.

Natalia shook her fist in the direction of the television, her fingers itching to draw her wand. But she knew it would be no use, cursing, fist-shaking, and hexing. They were beyond her reach, these people who were neglecting her only surviving grandchild.

Charles wasn't faring much better than his wife, as he sat down heavily in an armchair, clenching his fists not unlike his son had been doing moments before. Hilary drew her daughter out of the conjured chair and squeezed her closer to her, glaring at the telly.

"How dare she!" Lily exploded. "All of Harry's bottles and baby food are going to that whale of a kid! He's nearing obese, that child is! He'll be in trouble one day, mark my words. Spoiling a child has no good results. AND SHE DARES TO NEGLECT MY SON, GIVING HIM HARDLY ANY NOURISHMENT?" She fell silent for a split second, and then realization dawned on her. "DUMBLEDORE!" she thundered.

"What does Dumbledore have anything to do with that brat of a woman?" asked Natalia, genuinely curious.

"HE GAVE MY SON TO A _MUGGLE_!" Lily screeched. "A MUGGLE I KNOW VERY WELL, IN FACT, AND I KNOW, I'D BET THE ENTIRE POTTER FORTUNE ON, THAT SHE HATES ANYTHING MAGICAL, SHE HATES ME, AND THAT COMBINES FOR A TERRIBLE LIFE FOR MY SON." She collapsed into tears again, whimpering. "I just wanted him to have a good life," she cried. "I let Voldemort kill me, something I don't regret, so he'll have a good life, a better life. And Dumbledore dumps him on Petunia? The very same Petunia that threw me out after our parents' deaths? That _blamed_ me for our parents' deaths?"

The redhead paced back and forth, her feet stomping into the ground as she tried to stamp out her anger. James sat silently, brimming with his own anger, but not wanting to unleash it just yet. However, Lily stormed to the front door.

"I'll be right back." With that, she slammed the door behind her, stepping onto the stoop.

"I'll be right back, too," James growled, striding out of the room at a fast clip, and the others' slight confusion was eased when they heard glass shattering and a punch to the wall.

Hilary handed her daughter to her mother and walked into the other room, drawing her wand as she went. Wordlessly, she conjured a dummy and placed it right in front of James. She raised an eyebrow at him, and left. Even though she hadn't given him any suggestions, she had some inkling as to what he would do. It was confirmed when she peeked through the doorway and saw her twin firing hexes and jinxes and other spells directly at the dummy, even trading in his wand for the Muggle anger venting method.

While he was pummeling the inanimate object, Lily appeared back in the house, accompanied by a very confused middle-aged couple. While the female had Lily's fiery red hair, though hers was dimmed due to age, the male had Lily's emerald eyes.

"Hilary Potter, my best friend and sister-in-law, and her daughter Estelle," Lily fired off quickly, pointing to her best friend and her niece. "My mother-in-law, Natalia Potter, and my father-in-law, Charles Potter. My husband, James, is in the other room." Her fury seemed to dim slightly as she gave a very minuscule smile. "He's probably pummeling a dummy that Hilary conjured for him." The smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. "Mum, Dad, you've always told me, ever since I got my Hogwarts letter, that Petunia would get over it, that it was just a stage." She clicked the telly on, and scrolled to a list containing only one item.

She pressed a button, and the same reel that had just played came back on. The redhead refused to look at the screen, reasoning with herself that she would only become more enraged. To compensate, she focused on her parents' reactions.

The second the clip came to a close, Lily snapped off the television and looked at her mother and father. "Yeah, I'd definitely say she's gotten over her stage. For Merlin's sake, Mum and Dad, she's NEGLECTING my SON! Her NEPHEW! Her FLESH AND BLOOD! Did you notice how chubby Harry's cousin is? Did you notice how THIN Harry is? How is he supposed to SURVIVE until he turns eleven? Knowing Petunia, she won't speak of his magic, not a WORD. She and her walrus of a husband will be dead set on _stamping it out of my son._ My only child, condemned to this torture! No child should have to grow up unloved, and this is really taking it to the extreme!

"Did you know she kicked me out of our house after you died? She blamed me. I spent three years living in a filthy alleyway, because I was too stubborn and proud to request rooms at my friends' places. SHE THREW ME OUT! She didn't have a care in the world about whether or not I'd survive. And don't bring up my magic; she knew for CERTAIN that I was forbidden by law to do magic outside of school until I turned seventeen, and I was in MUGGLE LONDON!" Lily stopped her rant, breathing heavily as she tried her utmost to contain her anger, at least, the anger that hadn't been vented yet.

Calmly, Rose Evans led her daughter by the elbow and sat her down on a loveseat. Her eyes were warm and loving, though there was some anger etched in them at her firstborn. Still very calm, she told her daughter, "You can't do anything, darling." When the younger redhead opened her mouth, presumably to laugh humorlessly and contradict her mother, Rose held up a hand. "You can't get too attached. If you do, your time to watch Harry will grow limited, and with that maniacal look in your eyes, you could very well be restricted to a once a year viewing, perhaps an even harsher limit.

"At eleven, dear, Harry will be off to Hogwarts. He'll be away from Petunia, Vernon, and their son for months at a time, perhaps even year-round. He's gifted with the magic that you and his father passed down to his blood, and if I remember correctly, your magic seemed to come in at very convenient times." Rose raised an eyebrow, and Lily nodded slowly. "Petunia and Vernon can't kill my grandson, Lily, even if indirectly by neglecting him. It's surely in the official records that they are his legal guardians, and if he disappears without a trace, investigations are sure to pop up.

"Anyway, also if I remember clearly, magical beings start to watch young witches and wizards that don't have magical guardians to explain their gifts to them. If things get to be too extreme, such as long, _long_ periods of starvation or abuse, there _will_ be interference. Authorities from both worlds can do much more than you can, darling, stuck up here in the Otherworld. It's horrible to watch your child struggle."

"You don't know anything about watching _your_ child struggle!" exploded Lily. "You-"

Anthony strode to be beside them, placing a warning hand on his daughter's shoulder. "We know, Lily." His voice was firm but gentle. "Don't forget that we have our own telly, and we've watched both you and Petunia through the years. We watched Petunia toss you into the streets, just like we watched you struggle to make ends meet in the summers. We felt just as hopeless as you do now, knowing we couldn't do a thing to help, and also that we couldn't get too attached, for fear of restrictions.

"So we do know, Lily. Don't accuse us of not knowing. You may be a mother yourself, but we are, first and foremost, _your_ parents. We've struggled just as you struggle now, and we're more than happy to guide you through it. We love you, Lily. You're surrounded by people who love you." Anthony gestured vaguely around the room. "You're _with_ a person who loves you beyond what words can express. You will get through this. Like Mum said, Harry will be off to Hogwarts in about nine years. Nine years can pass by rather quickly." Her father smiled nostalgically. "After all, it seems like just yesterday you were a five-year-old, dreaming of being a princess, and now you're torn apart over your own son."

x.o.x.o.x.

As the years flew by, Lily and James were calmed by Harry's competent ways of dealing with a broken home and a bully of a cousin. Estelle, too, grew as Harry did. The year Harry turned eleven was the same year Estelle turned eleven, in the Otherworld. The girl looked dejectedly at the screen, where her cousin was being greeted by a half-giant called Hagrid.

Lily came back into the living room, carrying a tray of drinks. Once again, they were joined by familiar faces, all eager to see the milestone of Harry receiving his letter. But as Lily watched the tiny crowd in her living room, she felt teary.

Just a year after Lily and James's arrival, the cancer had caught up to Isabel's stubbornness. She had died at the age of twelve, aging just two more years until she reached the ultimate peak of fourteen.

Two years later, Cassie, Kyle, and Ethan had been captured and killed by still hopeful and active Death Eaters, who had eluded Ministry arrest. There had been a joyful reunion, though it was awkward at first, as there was a new age difference to become more accustomed to. Ethan had died at the age of four, and would have another three years to age until he stopped.

Crystal had joined them only a couple of months later, followed closely by Marlene, who they had said a pleasant hello to, and had remained on civil but not friendly terms ever since. Now, in the Potters' living room, sat the dead people that meant a lot to both James and Lily.

Natalia and Charles were sitting together on a loveseat, both of them with eyes beaming with pride at being able to watch their only grandchild receive his Hogwarts letter. Their now-fourteen-year-old youngest child sat on the floor at their feet, leaning back to rest her back on the loveseat. Their eldest daughter and their granddaughter, now eleven, were on the loveseat next to theirs.

Rose and Anthony were on one of the two sofas, looking excited, because this time around, they knew what was coming, and they were thrilled for their grandson to be able to experience the same wonderful things his mother had.

Cassie, Kyle, and eleven-year-old Ethan sat together on a sofa, talking quietly, but there was sadness in their eyes too. Ethan would have been very likely to receive a letter of his own, but the chance had been stolen when he had been killed.

Crystal sat alone on an armchair near Hilary and Estelle, and the two young women were also conversing in soft tones.

James also sat alone in another armchair, gazing at the screen, where Hagrid was presenting Harry a birthday cake. Regret and guilt tugged at his heartstrings as he watched his son.

Lily silently passed out the drinks, setting the tray on the table once she had two left. She passed a glass of firewhiskey to her husband, and settled at his feet with a mug of green tea, hoping that it would calm her emotions.

They watched Hagrid give Harry the letter that had eluded him for some time. A tear slipped down Lily's cheek. "I wish we could have been there to celebrate with him," she whispered. "Knowing Petunia and Vernon, all they're going to do is ignore him and let Hagrid shop with him." A small smile appeared, however. "Hagrid will take good care of him, though."

Cassie, who had not attended Hogwarts, raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Good care of him? You're sure about that?"

"Yes," James replied for his wife. "Hagrid has a kind soul, Cass."

Estelle and Ethan exchanged a look. "We'll never go to Hogwarts," Estelle spoke for both of them, and her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"No, but with all of us up here, we'll teach you all you need to know," Hilary promised her. "Your Aunt Lily knows the most, that's for sure." She looked thoughtful. "Can magical children get wands up here?" she asked curiously.

Lily shrugged, clicking off the television with a regretful and longing expression. "Check your iPhone," she suggested as she waved her wand to collect all the glasses and the tray.

Her friend laughed, picking up her slim white device and pressing a button to bring the screen to life. An answer popped up on the screen and Hilary scanned it quickly. "Apparently, on September first of the year a child is supposed to go to Hogwarts in the living world, a wand that had chosen the witch or wizard would appear in the witch or wizard's room. Magical acquaintances of the eleven-year-old will be responsible for educating the child in chosen subjects taught at a magical school. Similar to being homeschooled, in a way."

"Interesting."

Cassie looked amazed. "I still can't get over the fact that the Otherworld solves virtually every problem. It's like an entire world of magic. A utopia, if you will."

"That's what Lily thought when she first came up here," Hilary told her. "It _is_ quite amazing, plus, we've got technology that the living won't get for years to come." She glanced at her daughter. "It _is_ slightly weird that our children are aging but we aren't. I mean, I'll be a twenty-something-year-old mother to a fourteen-year-old. I'll be young enough to be her older sister!"

James laughed. "That's nothing compared to when Harry comes up here, darling sister. Lily and I will be stuck in our twenties, and if all goes according to plan, he could be nearing his hundreds."

"That's even weirder for us, son," Charles pointed out. "We'll be younger than our grandson if everything works out as it should.

x.o.x.o.x.

Every month, the Potters checked up on Harry, being there for his first year. They watched his Sorting, feeling anxious as the Hat took much longer than usual, but breathing out in relief and with pride at his placement in Gryffindor. They watched his first Potions lesson, with James seething with barely suppressed anger at Severus Snape's clear loathing and hatred of his son. Lily simply stared at the screen, mentally helping her son through the lesson, but she too was suppressing anger. She understood Snape's hatred of James, even if she didn't support it, but she felt enraged that the man was taking it out on an innocent child, nonetheless _her_ innocent child.

James watched Harry's first broom lesson, pride and anticipation shining in his eyes. Lily sat, with her legs thrown over the armrest of the armchair she was sitting in, and read with one eye. The other eye was on the telly. When Harry blatantly disobeyed Madam Hooch by soaring into the air, she dropped her book and sat up.

"That boy," she said, shaking her head. "The very replica of his father." Lily glared at James, but worry was climbing up her throat. "Oh, I hope he doesn't fall!"

"He won't," James assured her. "Look at him! He's a natural. Clearly, he's got my genes."

Lily rolled her eyes, but she watched with bated breath as her son caught the Remembrall with innate skill. Even as a whoosh of air released from her lungs in relief, she was scared of what McGonagall would do to the boy for breaking the rules.

When the stern professor gave Harry the news and introduced him to Oliver Wood, Kyle's relative, though, James jumped out of his seat with a loud whoop.

"The youngest in a century!" he yelled. "My son just made history!"

His wife leaned over to grab to the remote in order to turn the telly off. "Other than the fact that he defeated the Dark Lord, you mean?"

There were moments where Harry's life was in grave danger as well. Lily squeezed her husband's hand to the brink of breaking it when Harry and his two friends, Ron (the youngest boy born to Arthur and Molly Weasley) and Hermione (a brilliant Muggle-born witch with startling resemblances to Lily), confronted the troll in the girls' loo.

Both wept as they watched Harry find the Mirror of Erised and became so attached to it. They gripped each other's hand as they watched Harry defeat Professor Quirrell, and laughed as Dumbledore shared his story of his experiences with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

They fell silent as Harry boarded the express back to London. The couple exchanged a look as the telly faded to black.

"Petunia better treat my son right this summer, or so help me, I'll haunt her until she _wants_ the end of her days to come," threatened Lily, and quite seriously too.

x.o.x.o.x.

**A/N: That actually wasn't too bad of a wait, was it? I hope you enjoyed it! And I also hope that some of the deaths cleared up why they weren't there for Harry. Until next time!**


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